VietNow National Magazine

Lakeland VietNow

VietNow Chapter in Wisconsin's North Woods .

By Carolyn Carter

We’re this small, little chapter up here that you never hear about. We’re up here in this snow world, and it is really cold. We moved up here in 1999, and I missed the McHenry VietNow chapter so much that I just had to start a chapter up here in Wisconsin.

The first year we started up we scheduled to bring “The Wall” up here, several months in the future. Guess when. September 13, 2001. Needless to say, all hell broke loose on September 11, just before we were ready to go down and pick it up. They closed all national monuments that weekend, and we had to get special dispensation to go ahead with our plan.

They sent special plainclothes SPs from Great Lakes Naval Station to patrol the area during the three days and nights The Wall was here.

As it turned out, we had 10,000 people go through that weekend – there was nowhere else to go for most people who were feeling the pain of September 11.
The Business Association of Arbor Vitae has asked us to bring it up again, and so we have it scheduled for August 24-26, 2007. We hope there will be no repeat of trouble.

I have 700 pounds of venison sitting downstairs in my freezers tonight. We just held our fifth annual Hunt for the Vets. Deer hunting is big up here. We put up signs saying, “If you want the trophy but not the meat – take to Lake Tomahawk Meat Market and tell them to process it for VietNow.” The owner of the meat market is such a good guy.

We already have taken 300 pounds of venison to Camp American Legion – where any Wisconsin veteran can come an stay for a week with three hot meals, a cabin, fishing, and rehab nurse on staff – for free. We also donated a DVD player to the camp, and we do a work crew every spring. Last year we stained all the wood in the great room.

We’re the first veterans organization that has ever been invited to present colors at a Native American powwow. The Lac du Flambeau tribe, the Ojibwe, held veterans powwow every day we had The Wall up here. they also helped us cover the night-time hours.

The tribe also held a veterans powwow at the VietNow National Convention, which was held up here back in 2003, at Lake of the Torches. All in all, we do a good job for as small as our chapter is. Sometimes one little candle in the dark is enough to help you see your way.

www.nikkiusa.com/VietNowConvention2002.html

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